Electro-plasmic jet forming hardware and circuitry



Sept. 17, 1963 B. SMITH, JR 3,103,783

ELECTRO-PLASMIC JET FORMING HARDWARE AND CIRCUITRY Filed Feb. 15; 1960 MATERIAL RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL PIL E INVEN TOR, AZ...

United States Patent 3,103,783 ELECTRO-PLASMIC JET FORMING HARDWARE A'ND CIRCUITRY Bonnie Smith, Jr., Warren, Ark., now by change of name Bonne Smith, Jr. Filed Feb. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 8,558

3 Claims. (Cl. 6035.5)

Summary-This invention relates to jet forming atomic systems and more specifically to the jet forming hardware to be used in combination with jet atomic systems tor the purpose of underwater dredging of valuable mineral nodule deposits [from the ocean floor; dredging or transfer of aggregates in non-combustible liquids; and propulsion of water craft as a result of jet thrust.

The hardware and circuitry are believed to be new to the present field of application and have a number of advantages over known hardware and circuitry.

Reference is made to the applicant's prior filing copending patent application Serial No. 522,315 of July 15, 1955, now Patent No. 3,013,384, of which the present application is a continuation in part with additional subject matter. Benefit of the prior filing date is claimed.

Large amounts of usable radioactive waste materials are produced yearly and are disposed of in tanks submerged in the ocean because there is little or no commercial use for such material at the present time. ln many cases such material is capable of producing electric power at levels in the millions of volts for periods of a number of years, strontium 90 having a half-life of 2.5 years, cobalt 60 a halfalife of 5.3 years and so on. Use of such materials would be highly adaptable for powering underwater pumping stations, ocean dredging operations, underwater mining operations and water or ocean craft. The same could apply to terranean and subterranean pumping, dredging and mining stations.

The main object of the invention is to provide improved means of economically dredging valuable mineral nodule deposits from the ocean floor.

Another object of the invention is the jet propulsion of water craft by improved means.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of improved means of dredging and transfer of aggregates in non-combustible liquids.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved means of underwater mining and pumping with said improved means being adapted for the use of nuclear electric power.

As will be seen, the invention has no moving parts and is of simple design facilitating ease of its production and use.

Still other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the fields of its application.

The electro-plasmic jet forming hardware and circuitry is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. '1 shows a system schematic of circuitry and water jet forming apparatus.

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal cross sectional view of an underwater dredging unit with improved hardware and power means.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the dredging unit as viewed from the intake end.

Electro-Plasmic Jet Forming Hardware and Circuitry Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an electrically operating inductive-capacitive charging storage network 2 which is powered by a water shielded low grade radioactive material pile or nuclear generator 1 using waste radioactive material. As is shown, electro-plasmic jet chambers 3 and 4 are hooked across each end of and fed by the inductive-capacitive network 2. When switch 3,103,783 Patented Sept. 17, 1963 ice 2 5 is closed, these chambers fire one hundred and eighty degrees out of phase with each other as the result of re- I flected wave action in the pulse network. The chambers 3 and 4 are designed mainly for water submerged use in the production of water jet streams for the propulsion of water crait. The are plasma sustaining chamber elements of these units should preferably be formed from heat resistant cermetallic materials of high tensile strength. Any suitable means of operating the circuit to stop engine operation may be used. On-off switches 5 and 6 are shown for that purpose however controlled movement of the electrodes in the chambers will accomplish the same thing. All circuitry including the pulse network must be electrically insulated and water insulated to prevent danger hazards.

Radioactive material pile 1 is of such nature as to change up inductive-capacitive pulse network 2, when the circuit is closed, to a level sufficient to cause arcing in one of the jet chambers 3 and 4. When arcing occurs, a reflected wave travels down the pulse network and causes the opposite jet chamber to fire. The electrical characteristics of the radioactive material pile 1 and the changing storage pulse network 2 are such as to maintain rapid charging of the network and firing of the arc chambers in such rapid succession as to seem constant during operation. The electro-t-hermal efiect in the chambers during firing time expands the water causing formation of a water jet stream of high thrust in these chambers. The jet stream formed is unidirectional due to the chamber design.

With reference to drawing FIG. 2, a cross sectional view of the :elcctrothermic jet pump portion of an underwater dredging unit is shown. This type of water submerged pump has no moving parts and is believed to be new and useful in all respects. It is powered by a water shielded nuclear electric generator which may be remotely located from the pump unit or may be form fitted around the outer circumference of the unit in doughnut fashion. As can be seen in this drawing the water jet forming hardware all fits in a casing around the inner circumference of an open ended cylinder .or section of pipe or tubing. This unit is located in the intake nozzle or lower-most section of a water submerged dredging tube. In long runs of tubing such as required tor dredging nodules from the ocean floor, these units may be connected at intervals along the tubing to expedite lifting to the surface a continuous -flow of nodules in a water medium.

The structure of the dredging unit as shown in drawing FIG. 2 comprises as hollows:

A piece of tubing 7 at least several feet in length and of a diameter to facilitate flow of the desired capacity. On the inner circumference of this tubing are fitted spacing liner members 8 for the support of ring electrodes 9 and 10 along with a louvered inner liner 11 for directing a one way jet of water up the tubing and toward the longitudinal axis of the tubing. In addition to directing the water flow, the louvered liner 11 also houses and protects ring electrodes 9 and 10. These electrodes may be sectioned as necessary to give even heating around the inner circumference of the unit. It is preferred that the negative electrode 9 be substantially ring shaped having a wedge shaped cross-section and a ring diameter slightly smaller than the tubing 7. The positive ring electrode 10 is to he of either circular or elliptical cross section and of the same ring diameter as the negative electrode 9. The tubing 7, l-ou-vered liner 11 and spacing liner members 8 are to be constructed from insulating materials having considerably more resistance to the flow of electricity than does water or the water medium in which the unit is submerged.

When electric power from pile 12 of FIG. 2 is applied s eaves to the electrodes 9 and 10 of this unit. Electric arcing between the negative ring electrode 9 and the positive ring electrode 10 takes place thereby heating and expanding the water medium inside the unit. As the water expands it is directed by louvers 11 up the tube '7 and tends to move toward the central longitudinal axis of the unit with considerable force. The movement and lifting qualities of the heated water medium which tends to flow up the tube '7 is sufiicient to draw solid mineral nodules of considerable size into the unit and lift them to the surface of the body of water where they may be run into any suitable collector vessel.

As various changes could be made in the above described circuitry and hardware Without departing from the scope of the invention it is intended that the specification be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting beyond the scope of the appended claims.

That which I believe to be new and useful and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A jet atomic system and circuitry in combination with jet forming means, with said system hook-up comprising an insulated electrical conductor connected from the negative terminal of a water shielded low grade radioactive pile to the negative input lead of an inductive-capacitive changing storage pulse network, an insulated electrical conductor connecting the positive terminal of said pulse network to the positive terminal of said low grade radioactive pile, with said connected electrical conductors forming a charging loop circuit having an inductivecapacitive network therein, an insulated electrical conductor connecting the negative output lead of said inductive-capacitance charging network through a switch to the negative electrode of a jet forming Water expansion chamber, with said jet chamber being hooked across one end of said inductive-capacitive network so that its positive electrode connects to the positive side of said network, with said electrodes spaced to form a first discharge path for said pulse network, a second water jet forming expansion chamber having its electrodes connected across the opposite end of said pulse network, said second chamber being fired out of phase with said first chamber by the reflected voltage wave in said network caused by the firing of the first chamber, said chambers generating a work producing water jet stream of high thrust.

2. A jet atomic system in combination with underwater jet forming means, with said system hook-up comprising -an insulated electrical conductor connected from the negative terminal of a 'water shielded nuclear electric generator to the negative input lead of said jet forming means, insulated electrical conducting means connecting the positive lead of said water jet unit by way of a switch to the positive terminal of said generator thereby forming a work producing circuit, said underwater jet forming means comprising a cylindrical tube having internally mounted near one end a negative wedge shaped ring electrode of slightly smaller ring diameter than the tubing, another ring electrode having circular cross section and the same ring diameter as the first electrode, with said second electrode being positive and spaced one or more feet forward of the first electrode, said ring electrodes being securely mounted on the interior of said tubing, in such manner that water insulated electrical connections may be made to said electrodes with said electrodes being protected by :a louvered tubular liner of smaller diameter than the ring electrodes, the louvers of said liner being at an angle such as to increase water pressure in the direction of flow.

3. A jet atomic system having underwater jet forming means, said system hook-up comprising an inductivecapacitive pulse network having input leads and having opposite ends providing output leads, an electric power producing radioactive pile coupled to said input leads for charging said network, a first jet forming water expansion chamber coupled across one end of said network for dischanging the same and producing a reflected voltage wave in said network, a second jet forming water expansion chamber coupled across the opposite end of the inductivec-apacitive pulse network and firably responsive to the reflected voltage wave in said network caused by the firing of the first chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,687,550 Ehret Oct. 16, 1928 2,539,535 Espensehied Jan. 30, 1951 2,555,143 Linder May 29, 1951 2,567,2 9 Sherertz Sept. 11, 1951 2,585,810 Mallinckroot Feb. 12, 1952 2,880,337 Langmuir Mar. 31, 1959 

1. A JET ATOMIC SYSTEM AND CIRCUITRY IN COMBINATION WITH JET FORMING MEANS, WITH SAID SYSTEM HOOK-UP COMPRISING AN INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR CONNECTED FROM THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL OF A WATER SHIELDED LOW GRADE RADIOACTIVE PILE TO THE NEGATIVE INPUT LEAD OF AN INDUCTIVE-CAPACITIVE CHARGING STORAGE PULSE NETWORK, AN INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR CONNECTING THE POSITIVE TERMINAL OF SAID PULSE NETWORK TO THE POSITIVE TERMINAL OF SAID LOW GRADE RADIOACTIVE PILE, WITH SAID CONNECTED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS FORMING A CHARGING LOOP CIRCUIT HAVING AN INDUCTIVECAPACITIVE NETWORK THEREIN, AN INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR CONNECTING THE NEGATIVE OUTPUT LEAD OF SAID INDUCTIVE-CAPACITANCE CHARGING NETWORK THROUGH A SWITCH TO THE NEGATIVE ELECTRODE OF A JET FORMING WATER EXPANSION CHAMBER, WITH SAID JET CHAMBER BEING HOOKED ACROSS ONE END OF SAID INDUCTIVE-CAPACITIVE NETWORK SO THAT ITS POSITIVE ELECTRODE CONNECTS TO THE POSITIVE SIDE OF SAID NETWORK, WITH SAID ELECTRODES SPACED TO FORM A FIRST DISCHARGE PATH FOR SAID PULSE NETWORK, A SECOND WATER JET FORMING EXPANSION CHAMBER HAVING ITS ELECTRODES CONNECTED ACROSS THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID PULSE NETWORK, SAID SECOND CHAMBER BEING FIRED OUT OF PHASE WITH SAID FIRST CHAMBER BY THE REFLECTED VOLTAGE WAVE IN SAID NETWORK CAUSED BY THE FIRING OF THE FIRST CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBERS GENERATING A WORK PRODUCING WATER JET STREAM OF HIGH THRUST. 